408. Geopolitical Shifts, Strategic Autonomy, and the 'Fantastic Kingdom' with Dr. Helene von Bismarck

About this episode

The episode discusses the geopolitical shifts in Europe amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine and the challenges of achieving strategic autonomy.

As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year , Europe finds itself facing a monumental geopolitical shift. With the United States under an erratic presidency taking a highly transactional, unpredictable approach to its historic alliances , the transatlantic network that has guaranteed Western security for eighty years is under profound strain. Can Europe truly step up to secure its own future , or is the dream of "strategic autonomy" just a lot of hot air? In this episode, hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse sit down with historian, author, and political commentator Dr. Helene von Bismarck. Together, they unpack the fragile state of European diplomacy, the erosion of international norms , and the rising tide of populism that threatens to derail Western resolve. They also dive into Helene’s latest book, Fantastic Kingdom: A Foreigner's Portrait of the United Kingdom . Helene offers a sharp, constructive, yet brutally honest perspective on Britain’s current grand strategic blindness, its inward-looking political debate, and the dangerous intersection between the global security crisis and the domestic crisis of liberal democracy. In this episode, we discuss: The Transatlantic…

People in this episode

Hosts: Patrick Bishop, Roger Moorhouse

Guest: Dr. Helene von Bismarck

Topics covered

• geopolitical shifts
• strategic autonomy
• European diplomacy
• international norms
• populism
• NATO
• liberal democracy

Keywords

• geopolitical shifts
• strategic autonomy
• European diplomacy
• NATO
• populism
• liberal democracy
• Fantastic Kingdom

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Fantastic Kingdom: A Foreigner's Portrait of the United Kingdom

Places: Europe, United States, NATO, Berlin, Paris, London, Poland, Germany

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